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Nebraska pork producer says ASF in DR makes situation “real”

A Nebraska pork producer says African Swine Fever spreading in the Dominican Republic means there’s a chance the disease could enter the U.S. “Certainly, that made it a little more real.”

Shana Beattie owns a farrow-to-finish swine operation near the south-central town of Sumner. “Anytime we have to be prepared and not be naïve that we have practices in place that would allow us to not have a disease like ASF,” Beattie says. “Certainly, it is a possibility.  I believe our borders are tight.”

The Nebraska Pork Producers president tells Brownfield the industry relies on border agencies who screen people entering the U.S. from an ASF-infected country. “It’s as simple as a piece of candy coming in from another country that has some sort of pork fat in it, and it may not get seized at the border.”

She says a strong biosecurity plan is the first step to protect against any foreign disease. “We do have a biosecurity plan that has been developed by the management team and our consulting veterinarian there at our farm and would encourage every producer, especially swine producers to have a plan in place,” she says.

This is the first time the disease has been in the western Hemisphere in more than 40 years.